Deer Isle

Deer Isle was settled in 1762 and
incorporated in 1789 from Deer Isle Plantation. The town original town
included "Great Deer Island, Little Deer Island, Isle au Haut, and Sheep
Island, and several islands between Great Deer Island and Isle au Haut

At Northwest Harbor, Deer Isle is almost split in two. The
remaining narrow land area, at the village, is known as the
Haulover.

Deer
Isle.—Incorporated (4-63 town) January 30, 1789. Population, 3,404.
Decennary loss, 178. Wealth, per capita, $120. State valuation, $417,211.
U. S. valuation, $680,783. First visited by European voyagers, in 1605.
The abundance of deer in its forests, gave it its name. First settlement
commenced near what is now known as the "Scott Farm," by William Eaton, in
1762. First church in 1773. First preacher, Rev. Mr. Noble. First pastor,
Rev. Peter Powers. Rev. Joseph Brown, a dissenter, installed in 1809.
Population in 1790, 682. First white child, Timothy Billings, born May,
1764. The privations of the settlers during the War of the Revolution,
were terrible.

"Province of the Massachusetts Bay, to his Excellency Francis Bernard,
Esq., Captain, General and Governor in Chief of the said Province, the
Hon'ble His Majesty's Council and the Hon'ble House of Representatives in
General Court assembled, Aug. 4, 1762.

The subscribers humbly show that sixteen of them have been at considerable
expense at transporting themselves to a certain Island at the eastward,
within this Province, situated on the southwest of Egemogen Reach, known
by the name of Deer Island, which at high water seems to be separated into
two, tho' at low water appears to be one Intire Island, have built
themselves Houses, and are with the rest of your Petitioners willing to
bring forward a settlement there. Pray this Court for the Incouragement of
so good a work, to make them a grant of the whole of said Island, or at
least that end of it, settled upon as aforesaid ; which is accounted to be
about six or seven miles in length, and two or three in breadth in the
widest part thereof; tho' in some places not half a mile. Or otherwise to
dispose of the whole of said Island to them, or only the southeast end
aforesaid, as this Court in their Wisdom shall think fit for such sum or
sums of money as may be judged reasonable, and your Petitioners beg leave
further to add that they are not Petitioners included in the twelve
townships already granted.*

" Resolve on the petition of the inhabitants of Deer-Island, granting and
confirming one hundred acres of land to each of said settlers, on
condition. March 22, 1786.

Whereas it appears to this Court from a survey and plan of a certain
island, lying within the county of Lincoln, called" Deer-Island, taken by
Rufus Putnam, Esq.; in the year 1785, together with a small island lying
near the west shore of the said Deer-Island, called Sheep-Island, that the
said islands contain in the whole, sixteen thousand eight hundred and
seventy-six acres, whereon were eighty settlers, before the first day of
January, 1784; and whereas Joseph Tyler and others, settlers on the said
islands, have petitioned this Court for a grant of the same, to them,
their heirs and assigns: Therefore

Resolved, That there be, and :here is hereby granted and confirmed to the
said Joseph Tvler, and the other settlers, who settled thereon and made a
separate improvement before the first day of January, 1784, their heirs
and assigns, one hundred acres each, to hold in severalty, to be laid out
so as to include their respective improvements, as a compensation for
settlement; on condition, that the aforesaid settlers pay into the
treasury of this Commonwealth, within one year from the date thereof, for
the survey, and other charges, one hundred and twenty pounds, in specie,
with interest until paid ; provided that where any original settler has
sold, or otherwise disposed of his improvements, the purchaser of such
improvements, his heirs and assigns, shall hold the same lands which such
original settler would have held by virtue of this resolve, if there had
been no such sale or disposition.

And be it further Resolved, That the remainder of the said Deer- Island,
with all the privileges and appurtenances to the same belonging, be, and
is hereby granted and confirmed to the said Joseph Tyler, and Mark
Haskell, Joseph Colby, John Campbell, Charles Pressey, Ignatius Haskell,
Thomas Saunders, Edward Haskell, Joshua Haskell, Thomas Haskell, Jonathan
Eaton, Ezekiel Marshall, George Tyler, Thomas Stinson, Jun., Belcher
Tyler, Nathan Dow, John Pressey, Thomas Stinson, Nathan Closson, Elijah
Donham, Theophilus Eaton, Levi Carman, Ezra Howard, Ambrose Colby,
Nathaniel Bray, Robert Nason, Benjamin Cole, Ezekiel Moory, John Hooper,
Lot Curtis, Chase Pressey, Thomas Saunders, Samuel Frunday, John Raynes,
Samuel Raynes, Thomas Smalley, Job Smalley, Charles Sellers, Josiah
Crocket, Thomas Robbins, William Babbage, Joseph Whitmore, William
Greenlaw, George Frees, Cortney Babbage, John Frees, Peter Hardy, Jeremiah
Eaton, William Eaton, John Closson, Thomas Thompson, Robert Lin, Marcy
Staples, Charles Greenlaw, Simon Fowier, David Torry, Jonathan Torry,
Samuel Crombie, Joseph Donham, their heirs and assigns ; on condition,
that they appropriate three hundred acres of land for the use of the
ministry, and three hundred acres for the use of a grammar school, and
that they pay into the treasury of this Commonwealth, within one year from
the time of passing this resolve, one thousand two hundred and forty-one
pounds, eight shillings, in consolidated securities of this Commonwealth,
with interest."